Topic: Scarred- A Knight Is Made By That Which He Protects: Wyheree

Dyarhk

Date: 2010-12-04 05:50 EST
Scarred: A Knight Is Made By That Which He Protects: Wyheree


An enormous man, far taller than any to be messed with, passed from guard to guard, informant to informant, camp to camp. His dealings in his hands, coming out from his shady garb of the cloak and dagger sort. Such was the nature of covertness; such was the nature of the Lily of the Valley: an elite order of faceless agents, no longer valuable when it was known who they truly were.

But this man was known well. Havelast Dagger Sasc. An Adennian who has spread a great many titles and duties on and off the battlefield. Two things were certain: One: His dedication to his country. And Two: Loyalty to his friends.

Dyarhk was under a workload at Camp Devotion. He managed the mail that called for reinforcements and aid, as well as keeping the Siovanui women from reaching critical mass. He also saved lives, organizing and running evacuation teams behind enemy lines. And still finding time to swing a sword against those who might strike him to the ground. None of these things could be called effortless, and on-top of it all, his batteries were depleting, so to speak, the longer he stayed away from Tirraru.

Every second to every minute here in the now contributed to a record, of staying out the longest he had ever been. It was no surprise he asked a favor of the dark therapy knight, Havelast.

?Locate Wyheree, see that she is safe.? he had requested of him. Two Ravenlocks, for that matter. Both listed as being involved in the war effort. Going about this was going to be no easy task, but after all, he was the person you gave tasks to when they were not easy.

His inquiries brought him back to Arcanum, the ever-changing battlefield. Many a lowly but trustworthy finger pointed him here, and cost him a pretty penny, not that it was currency from his own land. Kneeling before a rain-darkened block in the stone road, he crazed his gloveless fingertips over it with an examiner's touch. ?...Frost magic residue.? Havelast muttered, rising to scan the four corners of his cardinal directions on the off-chance he be attacked while investigating. The knight covered his tracks.

Many a named combatant had fought here, on-top of all the ground troops that marched over where children used to walk eagerly toward a day filled with learning. It sickened the knight's face to be here again, to be reminded what happened here, what still may be happening here. This was why he had waited for the cloak of night to carry out his search for the frost mage. And by his understanding, he was close.

One of the taller buildings had brought him to the end of his journey. A tower that had not yet been stunted by the ground-leveling of war. And it was here that the instrument he had been using to follow frost magic had resonated the loudest. A chilly chain link of blue, forged about a metal loop that it would shake from if in the presence of frost magic.

Havelast gazed up the building before looking at its glass door, caging darkness inside. ?Tch..!? he swallowed his fear, reached to his back, and placed his grip solidly onto the solid gold hilt his 4'4? sword.

This darkness was unusual, it unnerved him, and it was not like him to feel so. Proceeding forward, through a lobby and into a barren hall that amplified the sounds of himself, telling the lying darkness farther out that he was here. Havelast cursed his palm with his dark therapy, akin to a holy blessing, only not. But the magic did show itself when he ran that hand over his gauntlet, awakening fire seemingly from a slumber as it stood on the tiered steel and danced at a low.

His suspecting face shone and the gold of his hilt as he held his arm about like a lantern. The building was indeed empty, but his magic indicator read otherwise. He hushed it, folding the link over the loop in such a way that it would require manual correction before it might sound again. He needed ' ' some ' ' of his stealth back.

Down the hall, and presented a staircase, he began to ascend, one hulking boot after the other. His watchful eyes ever-peering up the stairs an extra fleet, his hand never leaving his sword. He would not be caught off-guard. At the door to the second floor, he unlocked his indicator, looking to it shake slightly more than it had downstairs. Still, not enough. He turned, pointing his fiery arm to the next fleet, ascending it.

The icy blue link frantically danced.

Dyarhk

Date: 2010-12-04 05:52 EST
?.....?

Havelast grasped the door handle to the third floor, and moved inside of it. What lied in wait? An ambush? Was Wyheree wounded? Inside he saw a series of glass-windowed reception offices, where students might come to register, or make use of the database of files that were only accessible to these glass-imprisoned workers. The light of night was on him now, via the glass window that walled the entirety facing Arcanum. ?Lady Ravenlock? Are you here?? Havelast's voice bellowed even as he whispered, moving his hand over his arm and smothering the flame with dark therapy much more simply than he had summoned it. His head jerked suddenly, alert, at the sound of a voice as his arm finished smoking.

?You should not have stepped outside the protection of your city. Your fate rests in my hands now.? a voice said, seated cross-legged to one of the chairs, half his body in shadow, which was odd because, the moonlight cast out the shadow from that side of the room.

Havelast knew immediately who it was. He gripped his sword. ?Amonas...? anger, hatred; he may as well have been a growling dog.

?You were my finest student, Havelast. Why do you waste your talents helping Rhy'Din?? the shadowy guest queried, bouncing his white armour boot.

?What have you done with the frost mage, Amonas?? Havelast asked, hesitant to draw his sword for some reason.

?You believe she's here? Oh, but you would, wouldn't you, if someone were to be exceptional in the arts of the frozen arcane and transmit it from here. Even more so, if they were so exceptional in their magic as to mimic her signature output.? the man proposed, coming to a stand and grabbing his beastly black dragon's head helmet as he did so.

Havelast grinned, ?Who is the one wasting their talents, now??

?Not I.? Amonas said, helmet under his arm.

?The frost work was my doing.? a handsome man said, favoring Brian Ravenlock in that he wore the face of a seasoned man, and long locks of black. Even their builds were similar, except for that this man wore magician's robes, and held a curved staff of wood. Stepping up just slightly, tensing the room exponentially. The wizard himself was aware of this tension, and made to lean against one of these reception desks to ' ' alleviate ' ' it what it did.

?Calice. Calice Savorenius. So you are alive.? Havelast changed so subtly his stance, and finger-hold on the sword at his back. Subtle, movements. He would keep them talking. ?Or... have your delves into the black arts already taken your life??

?Nay... I have not died; yet.? the black mage guided his hair out of the way, braving so much as to close his eyes as he combed.

?If you are here, then so is Teciszew.? Havelast moved his eyes from the black mage, and deeper into the darkness behind him. Sure enough, out came the man of whom he spoke. A man dressed in black, save for his head, which wore a mask of a different sort than Havelast was used to seeing. But always, a mask.

?Perceptive as ever...? Teciszew said, limply coming to stand not quite beside of the dark-haired magician, but just behind him. He was unarmed, and this was how he always started his battles. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead now. It was he particularly, that he would have to watch out for, as his method of fighting is far more unusual than any other.

?Your death will be far mo--? Amonas barely began, putting his helmet on, as he stopped himself, seeing Havelast spring into action.

The fight was on.

Out from his robes, two blades came. One, the Sword of the Law, and the second and also the first, was a bulken throwing knife, hurled at the heart of the black mage. All of this happening in mere moments, Calice guarded the only way he could in such brief time, at such close range: with the physicality of his staff, splintering it.

The mage looked on at his tool of conduction, sucking air in through his teeth, seeing it unusable. This of course meant Calice was now stricken to cast with his hands now. 'Well-played, knight.' he thought, looking at his broken tool. The knight had bought moments, mere moments.

Dyarhk

Date: 2010-12-04 05:54 EST
Next Havelast addressed his second threat, with the poor facts being that he was the main threat. This decision of ordering the knight had chosen was with its consequences, and he knew it more than ever in his attack. He reached, like for his very life, for the hand of Teciszew, for in a very short matter of time, his unarmed hands soon held the knight's own sword.

Teciszew was a mysterious killer, one who preferred to kill others with their own weapons. To this day, his means of obtaining them were unknown, but undeniably real. Evidence, when Havelast was gashed through his cloak and spewing blood from his arm, from his own sword no less.

?Gyahh!! AAHH!? the knight roared out, firstly pain, secondly rage. He had seized Teciszew's hands and folded them over one another, and then together, over into a bone-crunching displace, causing him to release the mammoth sword and be retaken after back-fisting that spiteful mask from his face.

Havelast now had time for one last attack.

Roaring with monstrous possession, he swung back that giant sword of his, and Amonas Jei, his former mentor, square in his sights. ?RRAAAAHHH!!!?

Unarmed, but looking ever-prepared, the dragon-armored man parted his lips. ?Now, Calice.?

The dark-haired magician pointed his first two fingers, and thumb over them in the likeness of a discus track, igniting magic between them just then as the whole of this floor filled with an explosion, shattering the windows and mushrooming out and up above the building until darkness took it once again, which was not for a while.

Dyarhk

Date: 2010-12-05 03:29 EST
?HYEH... HYAAH..!? Havelast fell, his arms in an X-guard on the way down, one arm covered in blood. Crashing through tree limbs while wearing a face of rage, sword still in one of his hands as he did so. He dropped the three floors, hitting not so hard as he pressed fingers to the ground, looking for where to go. He bolted into the night, heaving the magnificent weight of his sword over to his wound and clasping too, that. He was a stubborn bastard.

He had overdone it. He was supposed to have been undetected for the entirety of this. Not only was he seen, but he identified, and by no threatless force. He panted, ?Them. What are they doing here? How did they know I sought out the frost mage? If they know of me...? his eyes widened, but he never stopped running at such a brisk pace to the forest for a man his size. ?...the others. They're in danger. I have to get back!? he ran on into the night still faintly lit from the remnants of the explosion, covering his excessive cloak over his bleeding cut.


It was deep in the wood where a caped man could be make out, a hand on one of the tree limbs. ?He must be out of breath.? Teciszew said from the concealment of the bush. He rushed out, summoning the man's weapon and timing himself perfectly so as to slide him in half when he reached him, before he would ever notice him. ?Huh?? Teciszew said at the discovery of a thick stick in his hand, instead of the sword he had intended.

He stopped, assessing both the stick and the man he believed to be Havelast. No, it could not be. He finished his run, and yanked back the hood of Havelast's cape, revealing a scarecrow. ?.....?

?The black knight is crafty, Teciszew. We will withdraw for now.? Amonas said walking up to him.

?Sir, now is our best chance to pursue him. -- while he is wounded!?

?We have already lost him. It is likely he is back at camp. Either way, I had assumed we would not kill him on our first attempt.?

?My Dark Lord??

?Our attack continues without us. He will grow worried of our presence. He will sense Adenna is in peril, and that is precisely where I want him.? Amonas clutched a fist.

?...?

?Come. We will find citizens of Rhy'Din for you to slaughter while Calice continues hoarding his magic. In the meantime, enjoy the sleepless hours we've brought upon the great knight of Adenna.? Amonas Jei said with a grin, looking back to Teciszew's emotionless mask and even less emotive body.

?...? He let go of the cloak, just like he let go of his bloodlust to pursue him, and followed the man back through the forest.


Havelast's wound showed much clearer now that he was less protected from the elements without his cloak. The gash in his arm was deep, and he had lost much blood. But he moved on, he had to. ?Please, be safe. Seirichi, Lilith. Protect them.? images of Dyarhk and Techichi in his mind, smiling, being reckless as usual. ?Stay alive until I get back!?

?You are becoming good at dying, black knight.? a voice said from the trees. Havelast flung out his sword in an instant and looked around.

?WHO'S THERE?!?

?Calm down.? a man's voice softly said, dropping from the trees as Havelast was able to gaze upon his attire. He was Lily of the Valley. And with him, came another from a tree just a way's over. He calmed, sticking his sword into the grass and leaning to it. ?You found me. How??

?Has your time away from Adenna made you forgetful of our usefulness in the court?? the masked man said, his head dipping to look at the cut on his arm. ?...?

?Adenna, EVERYONE is in danger. Amonas Jei has returned, and he has joined forces with the exiled Savorenius mage. Teciszew is also with him.?

?Hoh... the Tamujin practitioner. You saw this?? the man had to clarify.

?Heh.? Havelast smirked, ?I fought them.?

?Enough... Remove your shirt. We must dress that wound.? he said.

Havelast sat to a log while he allowed his arm to be wrapped, his sword pressed against his right side while he stared beyond the grass. The Lily of the Valley who had first addressed him seemed on edge, like he was holding something back. Suddenly, he yanked off his cloth face cover. ?This has gone too far..!?

?..!? Havelast saw him reveal his identity, in effect, discarding that which made him a Lily of the Valley.

?We know who you are, and you know who we are.? indeed, Havelast did know him. There were few Lily of the Valley he did not know. But where he himself was concerned, it was generally accepted by his tremendous size that no other in Adenna could fit such a profile. ?So let's end this charade of mystery and identity.?

The Lily of the Valley beside Havelast, dressing his wounds, also removed his mask, his short brown hair ruffled but lying down trained by the cloth cover he had been wearing so long. ?It is true, Havelast. We can continue to serve Adenna. But you are far too valuable to go out among our ranks like this. You might have died tonight.?

?We look up to you, Havelast. You are Adenna's Unstoppable Knight. That is what they are calling you. And such a symbol of hope cannot be wasted on a fight that should be fought by our warriors.?

?I AM a warrior.? Havelast said, rising suddenly to stand and confront him, but then grunting to the pain of his side as he sat back down.

?What? Your side as well? Let me see.? the brown-haired man lifted his powerful arm and saw a cut glass had made, and moved to begin wrapping that as well.

?...I think you men are missing the point. I don the Lily of the Valley title because I have always been one, but first and foremost, because there is no distinction between warriors. I will gladly die for Adenna's sons and daughters, and I am no greater man to be beyond dying for my country.?

?..Havelast.?

?Enough.? he jerked his arm from the man attending to his wounds. ?We must move. You men return to Adenna. Tell them what I have told you here.?

?And where will you go?? the brown-haired medic asked.

?I go back to camp. Two Siovanui must learn of this exchange. How they react, good or bad, does not matter.? dressed back in his bloody shirt, and given the cloak worn by one of the two men, he wrapped himself back up for the long walk.

"What of the Ravenlock woman? Wyheree?"

?It is out of my hands. Alive, dead, it will have to be determined from another party. Regardless, I believe Adenna's role in this war may be over.? sheathing his sword to his back, the two men watched him depart as he focused on the road ahead.